Elastic banding device



Feb. 26, 1963 Filed Feb. 21, 1961 's. sEsERMAN ELASTIC BAND'ING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Samue/ jeserma/v ATTORNEY Feb. 26, 1963 s. SESERMAN ,0

ELASTIC BANDING DEVICE Filed Feb. 21, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. 5 amz/e/ Seserman S. SESERMAN ELASTIC BANDING DEVICE Feb. 26, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 21, 1961 INVENTOR. Samue/ 5e5erman BY QM @Zqeflde A TTOR/VE Y 3,078,631 ELASTIC BAWDING DEVICE Samuel Seserman, 37 Winston Road, Dorchester, Mass. Filed Feb. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 90,677 Claims. (Cl. 53-198) This invention relates to an elastic banding device.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and improved elastic banding device having provision for handing an article or group of articles placed therein in a simple, elficient and rapid manner.

With this general object in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the elastic banding device hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:

' FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an elastic bander embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the same;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a detail view of a portion of the feed roll adapted for cooperation with the driving pawl; and

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the same taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

In general the present invention contemplates a novel banding device having provision for applying an elastic band about an article or group of articles placed therein. The illustrated banding device embodies a frame upon which a supply of elastic bands may be stretched and stored. The frame defines a rectangular space into which the articles to be banded are placed within the confines of the stretched or loaded elastic bands, and provision is made for advancing and releasing successive foremost elastic bands in the supply, the released elastic band contracting about the articles to bind them together.

The present banding device may be used with advantage to band any article or group of articles placed in operative position in the device and in which an elastic band may be released and contracted thereabout. In practice the present device is of particular advantage in .the banding of shoe parts wherein successive parts of similar or different character, such as shoe soles, shoe uppers or the like, may be placed in the bander one on top of the other as they are completed by a worker until a predetermined number or group of the parts are placed therein whereupon the operator may release the foremost band to bind the group together. The banded group of parts may then be removed, and a new group of parts may be similarly placed in the bander as they are completed to be banded by a succeeding elastic band released from the supply. Prior to the present invention such parts when completed have been placed haphazardly on a table as they were produced. Then the operator would gather the parts together and manually apply an elastic band. The present bander wherein the articles are initially placed in assembled relation in the bander and then bound by release and contraction of a loaded elastic band effects a considerable saving of time and thus substantially reduces the cost of production of the articles being manufactured.

Referring now to the drawings, in general the present banding device comprises a rectangular base member It to which opposed upright side frame members 12, 14 are secured in spaced relation. The upper ends of the side frame members 12, 14 are inclined downwardly toward the front of the device and are secured together at their upper ends by a transverse tie bar 16 extended 3,078,631 Patented Feb. 26, 1963 between the frame members. A notched or grooved feed roller 18 carried by a shaft 29 between the frame members 12, I4 is mounted for rotation at the forward end of the inclined portion. It will be observed that the inclined upper edges of the side frames as indicated at 15 are arranged at an angle such that the lowermost portion thereof is aligned with a band retaining groove 19 of the feed roll 18. It will also be observed that the feed roll is arranged relative to the inclined upper edges so that the periphery of the roll intersects the inclined surfaces adjacent the lower ends thereof with the upper surface of the roll arranged in a plane above such lower ends. The upper ends of the side frames are also provided with curved portions 22 adjacent the forward end thereof and coextensive with the lower ends of the inclined portions 15, which latter extend beyond the periphery of the roll as shown. The lower ends of the frame members 12, 14 are provided with slots 24 open at their forward ends as shown. In use a plurality of elastic bands indicated at 26 may be stretched over the frame members by first engaging a band into and across the slots 24, then stretching the band upwardly along the outer faces of the frame members 12, 14 and then over and across the inclined upper edges of the same. A plurality of bands thus placed in contiguous engagement, one in back of the other, provides a supply of bands with the lower runs stretched across the slots 24 and with the upper runs thereof stretched over the inclined edges 15. The inclined surfaces and the tension of the stretched bands tend to urge the bands forwardly down the inclined surfaces to enter successive grooves in the feed roll 18 when the latter is rotated.

In operation the articles to be bound or banded are placed between the upright frame members and on top of the lower run of the supply of stretched or loaded elastic bands. Thereafter, the feed roller 18 is rotated to advance the upper run of the elastic band through successive arcs until a groove 19 provided with a band arrives at a forward position at which position the band is released from its groove to contract about the article confined by the band and resting on the lower run of the band. Release of the elastic band from its retaining groove will relax the lower run of the band to permit it to move out of the slots 24 and engage the article or articles to be handed. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a group of articles to be handed is indicated by the numeral 25.

It will be observed that the inclined edges 15 preceding the feed roll 18 and the coextensive curved edges 22 adjacent the feed roll are smoothly curved at their outer edges to provide minimum resistance to forward progress of the elastic bands down the inclined surfaces during the operation of the device. It will also be observed that the tie bar 16 is arranged at an angle so that the forward end thereof is aligned with a point in the inclined surface which coincides with a groove 19 to serve as a transverse guide terminating adjacent the periphery of the feed roll to guide an elastic band into the adjacent groove 19.

In order to further control the movement of the elastic bands 26 to prevent rolling of one band over another along the inclined surfaces, a cover member 28 is provided. The cover member is pivotally mounted at its upper end on studs 3%; secured to the side frames 12, 14 and extends parallel to the inclined surfaces 15 and in upwardly spaced relation thereto to a point adjacent the periphery of the feed roll as shown. The cover then engages and follows the curvature of the feed roll across the top thereof and then curves upwardly, the free end of the cover being curved about a weighted rod 32 as illustrated. In operation the cover member prevents entanglement of the elastic bands one with the other and serves to maintain the bands in alignment during their advance into successive notches in the feed roll. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the elastic bands are square in cross section, and the cover in engagement with or spaced a slight distance above the upper surfaces of the bands as they approach a groove tends to hold back the band directly behind the foremost band to prevent more than one band from enteringa slot. It will be seen that the upper run of a band guided into the groove adjacent the lower end of the inclined surfaces 15 is advanced one step at a time upon successive rotary movements of the feed roll until the grooveis moved to a forward position such as to permit release of the upper run whereupon the band contracts about the articles. While bands square in cross section are illustrated herein, the device is also capable of handling elastic bands which are round in cross section.

V As herein illustrated, provision is made for rotating the feed roll 18 step by step through arcs equal to the arcuate distance between the notches to effect release of successive elastic bands. The rotating mechanism includes a spring pressed pawl 34 pivotally mounted on an arm 36 which in turn is pivotally carried by the feed roll shaft 20. The outer end of the arm 36 is connected by a link 38 to the outer end of an arm 40 pivotally mounted on a pin 42 secured in' the side frame member 14. The link 38 is provided with an intermediate pin 44 which extends through and is movable in a slotted portion 46 of an arm 48 pivotally mounted on a pin 50 also secured in the side frame 14. An omrating handle 52 pivotally mounted on a stud 54 secured to the base member 16 is connected at its outer end by a link 56 to an intermediate portion of the slotted arm 48. i

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the point of the pawl 34 is engaged in a groove 19 and rests in a notched portion 58 formed in the groove when the pawl is in its retracted position against a lower stop member 60 secured to the side frame 14; In operation, when the handle 52 is pressed downwardly, the linkage will be rocked upwardly tocause the arm 36 to pivotin a clockwise direction about the shaft 20. As a result the pawl engages the edge of the groove and advances the feed roll one step. An upper stop member 62 secured to the side frame 14 serves to limit the rotation of the feed roll in a clockwise direction. A second spring pressed pawl 64 pivotally mounted on a stud secured to the side frame 12 is arranged to engage successive grooves in the feedroll to prevent reverse rotation of the feed roll. When the handle is released the linkage falls of its own weight to retract the pawl which falls into the notched portion of the next groove in readiness for a succeeding banding operation.

From the above description it will be seen that the present banding device embodies novel provision for storing a supply of loaded elastic bands and for controlling the advance and release of successive foremost bands in a novel and superior manner whereby to provide a device capable of rapidly and efficiently banding an article or group of articles placed therein.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understoodthat the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what'is claimed is:

1. An elastic banding device comprising a frame, means on said frame for storing a supply of stretched elastic bands, said stretched bands defining a space into which an article tobe banded may be placed, and means for advancing and releasing successive stretched bands from said supply to contract about the article including a grooved feed roll mounted for rotation in said frame and arranged to receive successive foremost bands to be released upon rotation of said feed roll.

2. An elastic banding device comprising a frame including a pair of spaced upright frame members having inclined upper edges and slotted portions adjacent their lower ends and about which a supply of elastic bands may be stretched and stored, said stretched bands defining a rectangular space into which an article to be banded is placed, said inclined surfaces urging the upper runs of successive stretched bands forwardly, and means for receiving and advancing successive foremost bands to a position to be released and contracted about the article. 3. An elastic banding device comprising a frame including a base member and a pair of spaced upright frame members having downwardly and forwardly inclined upper edges and slotted portions adjacent their lower ends and about which a supply of elastic bands may be stretched and stored one behind the other, said stretched bands defining a rectangular space into which an article to be handed is placed, said inclined surfaces urging the upper runs of successive bands forwardly, a grooved feed roll for receiving and advancing successive foremost bands to a position to be released and contracted about the article, and means for rotating said feed roll.

4. An elastic banding device as defined in claim 3 which includes a pivotally mounted and weighted cover member havinga portion parallel to said inclined surfaces and confining the upper runs of the bands, the free end of said cover member engaging the upper portion of the periphery of said feed roll.

5 An elastic banding device as defined in claim 3 wherein the periphery of the grooved feed roll intersects the plane of the inclined surfaces at the lower end thereof, and wherein said inclined surfaces are smoothly rounded to offer minimum resistance to the advance of said bands.

6. An elastic banding device as defined in. claim 5 wherein the feed roll is provided with a plurality of equally spaced grooves, and wherein a groove is aligned with the lower edges of said inclined surfaces when the roll is at rest to receive the upper run of the foremost band.

7; An elastic banding device as defined in claim 6 which includes a transverse tie bar extending between the upright frame members, the forward edge of said tie bar coinciding with the point of intersection of the inclined surfaces and the periphery of said roll.

8. An elastic banding device as defined in claim 3 wherein the feed roll is provided with a plurality of equally spaced grooves and the means for rotating the feed roll includes a pawl engageable with successive grooves of the feed roll, and means for moving said pawl to effect rotation of the feed roll through successive arcs equal the distance between said grooves.

9. An elastic banding device as defined in claim 8 wherein the means for moving the pawl includes manually operated linkage to effect arcuate advance of the roll, and a second pawl cooperating with said grooves arranged to prevent reverse rotation of the feed roll.

10. An elastic banding device as defined in claim 8 wherein the pawl engaging portions of said grooves are notched to receive the pawl.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

1. AN ELASTIC BANDING DEVICE COMPRISING A FRAME, MEANS ON SAID FRAME FOR STORING A SUPPLY OF STRETCHED ELASTIC BANDS, SAID STRETCHED BANDS DEFINING A SPACE INTO WHICH AN ARTICLE TO BE BANDED MAY BE PLACED, AND MEANS FOR ADVANCING AND RELEASING SUCCESSIVE STRETCHED BANDS FROM SAID SUPPLY TO CONTRACT ABOUT THE ARTICLE INCLUDING A GROOVED FEED ROLL MOUNTED FOR ROTATION IN SAID FRAME AND 